Advanced | Exemplar Essay Call or Text

Advanced | Exemplar Essay

Call or Text

You Don¡¯t Have to Choose!

Clarity and Focus

Development

A significant and effective central idea

The central idea is developed with significant,

(¡°There are advantages and disadvantages

well-chosen, relevant facts (¡°With non-verbal

that accompany both methods...¡±) thoroughly

cues like pacing, tone of voice, and inflection...¡±)

addresses the demands of the prompt. The

and insightful explanations (¡°It's one more way

introduction engages the audience with

that contributes to people feeling as if they

meaningful context and the essay fulfills

lack real, authentic connections in their lives¡±).

the writing purpose with a strong focus on

A fair balance is given to the advantages and

developing each point of the thesis.

disadvantages of both texting and talking

in a manner that addresses the audience's

understanding of the topic.

Organization

Language and Style

Grouping related ideas into distinct

A formal style and objective tone are maintained

paragraphs (advantages vs disadvantages,

throughout (¡°sending a text message rarely

talking vs. texting) enhances the audience¡¯s

consumes one's time¡±). The essay uses

understanding of the topic. Varied transitions

precise language (¡°inflection,¡± ¡°compelling,¡±

(¡°as a result,¡± ¡°To that end,¡± ¡°Additionally¡±) show

¡°aforementioned,¡± ¡°unhindered¡±) that addresses

relationships between complex ideas and link

the complexity of the topic and attends to the

major sections of the text. The introduction

conventions of the discipline.

is engaging, with relevant information leading

logically to the thesis, and the conclusion

supports ideas presented.

Using Exemplars in Your Lessons

Exemplar essays are tools to take abstract descriptions and make them more concrete for students.

One way to use them is to print the clean copies of the essays and allow students to use the rubric

to make notes or even find examples of important elements of an essay - thesis statements,

introductions, evidence, conclusions, transitions, etc. Teachers can also use exemplars to illustrate

what each score point within a trait ¡®looks like¡¯ in an authentic student essay. For additional ideas,

please see ¡°25 Ways to Use Exemplar Essays¡± by visiting the Curriculum Resources page in Help.

Exemplar Essay

Call or Text

You Don¡¯t Have to Choose!

Human beings share a fundamental drive to connect and communicate with one

another. With so many ways to share information in this fast-paced, modern society, it

would be impossible to declare which one of the methods is better or more effective.

Cell phone use has dominated our culture, and as a result, texting and talking have

remained the two of the main forms of communication. There are advantages and

disadvantages that accompany both methods: people who prioritize comfort and

convenience are most likely drawn to texting, while people who seek meaningful and

impassioned conversation love the "lost art" of voice calling. Although both methods

are practical, most people have a preference when it comes to talking or texting.

Voice calling enables users to confirm that the intended messages have been

received clearly, instantly, and safely. The most important distinction of voice

calling is that the two callers can hear each other's voices. With non-verbal cues

like pacing, tone of voice, and inflection, each person can more accurately interpret

the messages from one another, rather than having to guess what the other person

meant from a cluster of words on a screen. To that end, a phone call can result in a

quicker conversation because the callers are sharing information, problem-solving,

and clarifying ideas as soon as the other person picks up the phone. Being able

to exchange information immediately through a phone call is a swift way to trade

messages at a faster rate. In certain situations, talking on the phone can even enable

the users to multitask. Since all modern phones, landlines included, come equipped

with a speakerphone feature, voice calling allows users to have their hands free to

engage in a multitude of chores. To further illustrate this point, consider the benefits

Page 1 of 3

Notes

of speakerphone while driving. Texting is a dangerous (and sometimes deadly) choice

to make while operating a vehicle. Calling makes communication more convenient for

those who need to get a clear message across instantly, safely, and unhindered.

While there are numerous advantages to calling, there are also disadvantages that

can drive a wedge between the two people trying to communicate. The phrase "phone

tag" is widely used and refers to the constant trading of voice messages, because the

two people trying to communicate are not available to talk at the same time. While

calling is a quicker form of communication in some instances, it can also be very slow

and frustrating if the phone is never picked up. Even when the two people successfully

reach each other on the line, the connection can be weak, difficult to hear, or abruptly

cut off, all of which are highly inconvenient. In addition, the caller has little to no

privacy because anyone nearby can overhear a voice conversation while on a bus, a

train, at work, or at school. In many significant ways, this mode of communication

requires you to be in the right place and the right time in order to speak.

With the aforementioned examples in mind, those who value privacy, maximizing

their time, and multi-tasking multiple conversations might find texting a more suitable

form of communication. Communicating in public with a voice call can give others the

chance to hear the conversation, which is a problem for some. Texting in public does

not present this problem, given that texts can be exchanged silently with the repeated

press of multiple keys. Additionally, sending a text message rarely consumes one's

time, as it is a quick and effortless form of communication. Texting allows people to

reply when it is convenient to them, permitting people to return to the text at a later

time if they are too busy to reply immediately. It is also advantageous in the sense that

one can handle conversations with multiple people, in some cases simultaneously,

without having to neglect or postpone another conversation. Finally, unlike a phone

conversation, texting allows people to store and review past texts for later review if

necessary. This is extremely helpful if someone needs to remember the time or place

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Notes

of a meeting. One can easily look back at a previous text message, without having to

connect on a phone call to confirm this information.

As convenient as texting can be, it has its fair share of disadvantages as well.

Texting has made it more difficult for some people to maintain interesting, face-toface conversations with one another. The generations that started texting as children

are now accustomed to talking in short snippets of sentences. This makes having

a sustained conversation a challenge, especially for those that have social anxiety.

Another disadvantage to texting is the misunderstandings that frequently occur. The

person receiving the text can interpret it in a way other than how the author intended,

and therefore can become offended over nothing. For instance, it is very hard to infer

one's tone from a text message. Misunderstandings can occur if the receiver of a

message misinterprets sarcasm for honest feelings. While the use of emojis can help

convey the intended emotion, plain text doesn't offer the cues that vocal inflections

provide when talking to someone over the phone. The most concerning disadvantage

to texting is that someone who is depressed can use it to purposefully avoid faceto-face contact or letting a friend hear the pain in their voice. It's one more way that

contributes to people feeling as if they lack real, authentic connections in their lives.

Both calling and texting are adequate forms of communication, each with

its own set of compelling advantages and disadvantages. Some may love the

convenience and ease that comes with texting and others may be more attracted

to the idea of deep, personal human connection that accompanies talking.

However, one doesn't always have to choose one method or the other; they can

appreciate the beauty of communication in both of these wonderful forms.

Page 3 of 3

Notes

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